


Photophobia

by K (Thiswasmydesign)



Series: Wammy's House Series [7]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga), Death Note: Another Note
Genre: Albino, Fluff with a side of evil, Gen, Wammy House, Wammy's Era, beyond bully, prompt - colours, prompt - genetic, prompt - vision
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 07:57:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13783164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thiswasmydesign/pseuds/K
Summary: Mello wants to show Near the pretty colours, but Near can't look; can't see in the bright light. Mello protects him from B (again).





	Photophobia

**Author's Note:**

> Photophobia is not unusual in albinism, due to lack of pigment protecting eyes.
> 
> Anyone wanting pure fluff, B's still mean & he's in this one

“Near, you have to come see this!” Mello rushed into the five-year old’s room and grabbed his hand, dragging him through the corridors of Wammy’s house without warning or waiting for the smaller boy to catch up. Near had no choice but to follow, out of breath by the time they got up the first flight of stairs.

On the third floor Matt was waiting in the window room, looking out of the large arched glass to the West, where the sun was setting.

“It’s my favourite colour!”

Near squinted out, trying desperately to see something more than the red that hurt his fragile pink eyes, that burned behind them until his head ached and he had to close them. Even closed, the red burned through.

“Near, look, it’s pretty!” Mello pleaded, shaking Near by the shoulders until he squinted his eyes open and then pointing out of the window.

Near kept his eyes on Mello. He couldn’t look out of the window. The light was too bright. It hurt.

“Yes, Mello,” he agreed in a small voice, not wanting to admit his weakness. “Very pretty.”

“I know I am,” Mello rolled his eyes, turning Near’s head with his hands. “I mean the sunset! Look!”

Near whimpered, closing his eyes tightly shut.

“Why won’t you just look?”

“Because he’s a freak.”

Near’s eyes opened then. It wasn’t safe to keep them closed, not if B was there. Bully Backup led his lackey, A, into the room. A kept his eyes averted, not looking at any of them. His fingers fidgeted nervously.

“Go away Bully,” Mello jumped to his feet, putting himself between Near and B.

“Your friend,” B continued, smirking. “He’s a freak.”

“He’s not a freak!”

“He can’t even look at the sunset. Do you know why?” B taunted.

“He can too!” Mello was going as red as the sunset, as a tomato.

“Maybe he’s a vampire?” B grinned, teeth bared. He rushed forward, grabbing Mello and snapping at his neck. Mello shrieked, yanking backwards out of B’s grasp and landing on his rear with bruising force. B followed, looming over the smaller child.

Near stared. He wasn’t brave, like Mello; he couldn’t stand up to B.

“He’s a freak,” B said again. “He doesn’t belong here.”

“He does too!” Mello launched at him with his fists. He swung them futilely as B laughed at him. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong here! You’re a bully!”

“I’m the boss,” B growled, shoving Mello backwards. The child would have fallen over if Matt hadn’t helped catch him.

“Please B, we don’t want any trouble,” Matt pleaded.

“Well, that’s just not your choice, is it specs?” B advanced on the goggled boy.

Near summoned up his courage and stuck out a foot.

B landed flat on his face, not even having time to bring up his hands to protect it.

“Freak!” B snarled as blood poured from his nose; red splattered Near’s white pyjamas, leaving a stain. Near curled into a ball, hiding his face in his hands.

Mello was on his feet again, launching at B and punching anywhere he could reach.

“Leave him alone!” Mello yelled.

All the noise was starting to gather a crowd; several other Wammy’s children were watching nervously from the doorways, too frightened of Bully Backup to go get help.

“B, we should go,” A’s small voice was almost inaudible over the shouts of Mello. Backup rounded on A, punching him in the jaw. A turned his head and tipped it down, absorbing some of the force of the blow, and keeping it there. “Please, B.”

Bully Backup growled, shooting a final glare at Near.

“Bloody sheep,” he snarled. “I’ll get you for this.”

Near didn’t uncurl from his ball on the ground until B was gone.

“Are you okay?” he asked Mello, unravelling himself.

“Don’t worry about me,” Mello told him. “That was really brave.”

“He was going to hurt you,” Near shrugged.

“Yeah, but I can take it,” Mello reminded him. “You shouldn’t get yourself hurt for my sake.”

“He’s right, though,” Near glanced at the window and flinched. “I’m just a freak. Better that I get hurt than you, Mello.”

“You will never say that again,” Mello was harsh, telling him off. He sounded like Wammy.

“But it’s true,” Near frowned. “I’m an _albino._ I’m not normal.”

“You’re better than normal,” Mello assured him. “You’re pretty. Just because _Bully Backup_ can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

Near was silent; staring.

“You really can’t look at the sunset?”

“No,” Near was sad. Mello told him it was pretty. He would have liked to see it.

“That’s okay,” Mello assured him. “Let’s go play instead.”


End file.
